shakedown067
Sinister C4
Hey, look on the bright side...things are actually moving forward! That's just going to be an absolute beast when she hits the road!
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Got the Contributing Memberships stuff finally worked out and made up a thread as a sort of "How-To" to help people figure out how to participate. So if you need help figuring it out, here's the thread you need to take a look at -> http://www.corvetteflorida.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3581 Thank you, everyone! Rich Z.
427 engine (part 2) - RHS block
- Thread starter Rich Z
- Start date
Log - Monday, 05/10/2010
Got a call from Chris in the morning. He told me he has been having problems getting the oil panned machined enough to fit the block, so he was running back to the machine shop again to get more metal removed. He said there is no one with the needed milling machine in Blountstown, so it was taking a lot of time traveling back and forth to Tallahassee to get the work done.
By the after noon, it still hadn't been resolved. Sheesh, that's just great... Damned minor BS crap like this really gums up the works getting this done. I'm fully expecting to get the word that the LS6 oil pan just will not work with that RHS block and then we're up the creek without a paddle. Not sure there would be any resolution at that point other than going back to square one, which honestly just is not going to happen. If we hit a brick wall again with this build, then it's just a wash out and I'm done with it. I'm worried enough as it is that removing all that material from the oil pan will weaken it to where it eventually cracks on me. That would be just wonderful one year and one month from now when I would be literally left holding the bag.
Well, so much for getting that engine started up on Tuesday or Wednesday. That's certainly NOT going to happen... And certainly the car won't be done in time to do the Cruisin' Corvettes show in Tallahassee neither. :nonod:
I know people are saying that once this is over with and I'm driving my car again that it will all be worth it. But honestly, THAT particular light at the end of the tunnel is just not getting any closer, it seems.
Not sure what is in store for tomorrow, but I guess it depends on that oil pan. If it can be made to fit without introducing it's own problems, then I guess everything else will be moot anyway.
Got a call from Chris in the morning. He told me he has been having problems getting the oil panned machined enough to fit the block, so he was running back to the machine shop again to get more metal removed. He said there is no one with the needed milling machine in Blountstown, so it was taking a lot of time traveling back and forth to Tallahassee to get the work done.
By the after noon, it still hadn't been resolved. Sheesh, that's just great... Damned minor BS crap like this really gums up the works getting this done. I'm fully expecting to get the word that the LS6 oil pan just will not work with that RHS block and then we're up the creek without a paddle. Not sure there would be any resolution at that point other than going back to square one, which honestly just is not going to happen. If we hit a brick wall again with this build, then it's just a wash out and I'm done with it. I'm worried enough as it is that removing all that material from the oil pan will weaken it to where it eventually cracks on me. That would be just wonderful one year and one month from now when I would be literally left holding the bag.
Well, so much for getting that engine started up on Tuesday or Wednesday. That's certainly NOT going to happen... And certainly the car won't be done in time to do the Cruisin' Corvettes show in Tallahassee neither. :nonod:
I know people are saying that once this is over with and I'm driving my car again that it will all be worth it. But honestly, THAT particular light at the end of the tunnel is just not getting any closer, it seems.
Not sure what is in store for tomorrow, but I guess it depends on that oil pan. If it can be made to fit without introducing it's own problems, then I guess everything else will be moot anyway.
Where did you get the pan from?
I guess if Chris can't get the current pan to fit with machining, this may be the avenue he needs to check up on. But of course that means another delay awaiting a new oil pan. Based on my score card of luck with this build, the pan needed for my application will be backordered for three months.... :banghead:
Thanks...
Right now my SINGULAR goal is to get my car back on the road. I really don't want to do anything that will introduce any further complications nor delays.
Chris is still fighting with the oil pan. I spoke to him on the phone this morning and he says he talked to Bryan and he just needs to take more metal off till it fits. Honestly, I'm not real keen about this. I doubt the specs for that oil pan called for a bunch of extra unneeded metal, so I doubt there is a lot to spare before it becomes flimsy. Sure would ruin my day to have this highly modified oil pan get cracked by a rock or something because it was severely weakened while driving and then stuck out on the road somewhere with no way to get a replacement and get the car back on the road.
I will run out there tomorrow and I want to see at least the cradles put together with the suspension and drivetrain. If the oil pan problem hasn't been satisfactorily resolved, then I may just have Chris put the LS6 back in and ship yet another unacceptable engine back to LME. If that RHS block wasn't designed to work as a replacement for a LS6, then it will not suit my needs.
I'll be quite honest about it, I'm getting REAL tired of this headache....
vetteguy61
New member
I'm sure you are rich. Seems like it's been one thing after another that's wrong on your motor. I think we're both in the same boat with no paddles.
Chris just called me and told me he found a machine shop in Marianna that could do the remaining metal removal he needed. He now has the oil pan on. He plans to get the engine put together and onto the cradle as well as getting the suspension mounted on the cradles the rest of today. It's too late to run out there today, so I'm planning on being out there tomorrow.
I feel a bit better now.......... :yesnod: But this certainly is being a real roller coaster ride....
I feel a bit better now.......... :yesnod: But this certainly is being a real roller coaster ride....
vetteguy61
New member
It sure has Rich. I sure hope the rest of the build goes smooth. You sure deserve it.
gsdave
engineer
Yeah, we're almost like the modern world up here. :dancer01:
Log - Wednesday, 05/12/2010
Well, I was glad to see the engine sitting on the front cradle finally. Both the front and rear cradles were in position under the car. Some of the suspension stuff was going back on as well as putting some of the stuff back on the engine. Chris even has the catch cans mounted on the engine now.
Chris unpacked the flywheel and clutch assembly. It's a dual disk Fidanza clutch and aluminum flywheel. Looks like a quality built setup to me.
That's as far as they got that day... But at least things are moving now....
Well, I was glad to see the engine sitting on the front cradle finally. Both the front and rear cradles were in position under the car. Some of the suspension stuff was going back on as well as putting some of the stuff back on the engine. Chris even has the catch cans mounted on the engine now.
Chris unpacked the flywheel and clutch assembly. It's a dual disk Fidanza clutch and aluminum flywheel. Looks like a quality built setup to me.
That's as far as they got that day... But at least things are moving now....
Log - Thursday, 05/13/2010
Not much happened today. I didn't get to the shop till after 11am. Had an appointment at 10am to get my hair cut.
Chris tried to mount the flywheel onto the crank, but no go. The hole in the flywheel is something like thirteen thousandths too small. Rather than trying to hog it out using a Dremel, Chris decided to run it to the machine shop to get it done right.
Didn't appear that there was going to be much else going on for my car, so I left there in the early afternoon and heading on home.
Hopefully tomorrow (Friday) will see this thing moving along a bit better...
Well, without a doubt, this will NOT be done in time for the Champion Chevrolet Corvette show on Saturday.... :nonod:
Not much happened today. I didn't get to the shop till after 11am. Had an appointment at 10am to get my hair cut.
Chris tried to mount the flywheel onto the crank, but no go. The hole in the flywheel is something like thirteen thousandths too small. Rather than trying to hog it out using a Dremel, Chris decided to run it to the machine shop to get it done right.
Didn't appear that there was going to be much else going on for my car, so I left there in the early afternoon and heading on home.
Hopefully tomorrow (Friday) will see this thing moving along a bit better...
Well, without a doubt, this will NOT be done in time for the Champion Chevrolet Corvette show on Saturday.... :nonod:
Log - Friday, 05/14/2010
Well, today didn't go as planned. The flywheel didn't get done at the machinst's today, for whatever reason. I talked to Chris a couple of times today and he said he was working on some other stuff on the car in the meantime, while waiting for the flywheel. I didn't see any sense in running out there since the drivetrain wasn't being put together without the flywheel being there. I guess I'll have to see on Monday what was done today.
So between an incompatibility with the oil pan and now the flywheel mating up with the aftermarket crank, it pretty much shot an entire week all to hell.
At this rate, I'm guessing that Connie's estimate that I MIGHT get the car on the road by my birthday (July 21), might really not be all that far from the mark.
Dammit......
Well, today didn't go as planned. The flywheel didn't get done at the machinst's today, for whatever reason. I talked to Chris a couple of times today and he said he was working on some other stuff on the car in the meantime, while waiting for the flywheel. I didn't see any sense in running out there since the drivetrain wasn't being put together without the flywheel being there. I guess I'll have to see on Monday what was done today.
So between an incompatibility with the oil pan and now the flywheel mating up with the aftermarket crank, it pretty much shot an entire week all to hell.
At this rate, I'm guessing that Connie's estimate that I MIGHT get the car on the road by my birthday (July 21), might really not be all that far from the mark.
Dammit......
vetteguy61
New member
Sorry to hear that Rich. I went out to the shop today to see about the paint work I wanted done. Chris wasn't there. I waited for 30 min or so and he wasn't back so I left. He said Wed whe i was there he would cll me on the amount to do the paint work. No call from chris as usual.I'm about ready to get a trailer and get my car out of there.
Rich, is this normal for an engine build like you're having done? I had a 502 Ford built and I know it's not nearly as exotic as yours but it was in and out in 2 weeks. It was a bored and stroked 460.
I just don't understand these engines I guess cause it seems like the oil pan and flywheel would just be a bolt in. Why would they build something so different from stock? I'm just trying to learn something here.
I just don't understand these engines I guess cause it seems like the oil pan and flywheel would just be a bolt in. Why would they build something so different from stock? I'm just trying to learn something here.
gsdave
engineer
I'm sure someone else will chime in here, but I think these issues are perfectly normal. Rich's build is full of aftermarket parts and, while one aftermarket part may mate perfectly with the associated OEM components, it may not necessarily work perfectly with other aftermarket parts. A 427 and a 346 (or whatever the C5 zo6 is) have different strokes and that extra stroke is going to need room. I doubt GM designs these things with all kinds of extra room inside the crankcase, so its easy to see the longer stroke and aftermarket rods causing a problem with the pan.
Most people don't see these issues because they're either less involved than Rich is or their builder does not share the modifications required in casual conversation.
Actually the clearance issue in the oil pan had nothing at all to do with piston rod clearance. The pan was hitting against the oil pickup tube. But quite honestly, you would think that there would be something akin to "standards" with all of this stuff so that it would all fit together. Samuel Colt showed them the way of benefits of standardized parts a LONG LONG time ago.
You would THINK that an aftermarket crankcase that would fit a stock flywheel, and an aftermarket flywheel that would fit a stock crankcase would logically fit together, i.e. the aftermarket flywheel would fit on the aftermarket crankcase if the above two scenarios are true. It is certainly disconcerting that the automotive industry is every bit as screwed up as it used to be when I was in my late teens and early 20s playing around with this auto mechanic crap. It is one of the major reasons I gave up wrenching on stuff way back then.
Heck, I don't know. I've had some people say this is normal, and others are aghast at the amount of down time my car has been through. Heck, if it's normal to get an engine like the one I got from World Products originally, well honestly, this really isn't the kind of game for someone with high expectations of getting what he or she paid for (like me!) to be engaging in.
Some people are STILL telling me that the results will be worth it when it's all said and done, but I am sincerely doubting my bad luck streak will break any time soon.
Quite honestly, I'm REALLY surprised that Chris hasn't decided to just put my car back the way it was and refund my money just to get me and my car out of his hair. This has been a major headache for him as well as me....